Ultra-processed food linked to early death: What they are, and how to spot them

Ultra-processed foods like bacon, bread and ice cream could be linked to early death, according to new research.

The amount of these types of food we are eating has increased rapidly in recent years according to scientists in Spain and France, who conducted the studies.

And the new findings come just after recent reports that ultra-processed foods lead to overeating.

What are ultra-processed foods?

The classification is determined by how much industrial processing the food item has been through.

Items such as milk, vegetables, meat, legumes, grains and eggs are all unprocessed or minimally processed.

Processed foods are classified as those that have been altered to make them last longer and taste better.

They can include popular items such as chicken nuggets, bacon, bread, breakfast cereals, fizzy drinks, hamburgers, sausages, tinned fruits and vegetables and ready-to-heat foods like pies and pizzas.

How can you spot ultra-processed foods?

To be considered ultra-processed, the food in question needs to have been through substantial industrial processing.

If it has a long ingredient lists on the packet, including colourings and preservatives, then it’s probably an ultra-processed food.

In fact, researchers say that if a product contains more than five ingredients it is considered ultra-processed.

However, the labelling of food as ultra-processed could be inconsistent, said Dr Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition and health at the University of Reading.

"It is also not obvious why salami is considered to be ultra-processed, yet cheese, which often requires considerably more processing steps and additives, is not.

“The classification combines a wide range of foods with very different potential impacts on health, which limits its usefulness as a basis for recommendations."

How dangerous is ultra-processed food?

The first study by the University of Navarra in Spain, followed 19,899 people for 10 years and assessed their diet every other year.